Artificially curled feather



March 10, 1953 N. B. EDELMAN ARTIFICIALLY CURLED FEATHER Filed Oct. 11, 1948 INVENTOR. J16

rmcm j EJeZman Patented Mar. 10, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE (Granted under Title 35,11. S. Code (1952),

sec. 266) 6 Claims.

The invention described herein, if patented, may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to artificially curled feathers. More particularly, the invention is concerned with a method or process for producing a permanent curl in feathers of the land fowl type, or other feathers, which in their natural state are uncurled.

The relative softness and flexibility, or filling power, of duck feathers and duck down, which are naturally curled, is well known. Many attempt to provide substitutes for such naturally curled feathers have heretofore been made. Such attempts have been directed towards utilizing normally straight, or crushed, broken and stripped feathers, with or without a combination of fibers and other materials, in an effort to obtain an equivalency between relative filling power in correlation with the softness of naturally curled feathers, without accomplishing or producing satisfactory results. That is, no substantially permanent equivalent substitute for or simulation of duck feathers and duck down has heretofore been artificially produced from uncurled feathers.

Further, it is generally known that the application of moisture and heat, with or without the use of spaced rollers, will produce only 'a temporary curl in fibers, feathers, films, and the like, which remain for short periods of time. Similarly, it was discovered that land fowl feathers, and particularly feathers secured from chickens and turkeys, would form a temporary curl when so treated. However, as could be expected, the curvature of the feather stem was not permanent, and this temporary type of curl was not suitable for general usage. However, by the process hereinafter disclosed for securing a thermoset curl, it is believed that the molecular structure of the highly organized feather keratin is disorganized with a reduction of parallelism of the keratin micelles, resulting in a permanent shortening or-contractionof the feather stem.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide artificially curled feathers having substantially the filling power and softness characteristics of naturally curled feathers.

It is another object of .this invention to provide methods of thermosetting an artificial curl in normally uncurled feathers.

It isa further object ofthis invention to pro- ]-vide; artificially curled feathers of the-land rowitype.

Other objectives and advantages .of this inven. tion will be apparent from the following description, when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a feather mold;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view showing a heating cabinet for the feather mold;

Fig. 3 illustrates a normally uncurled feather Fig. 4 illustrates the feather of Fig. .3 artificially curled;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modified feather mold; and

Fig. 6 is a partial front elevational view of a decorative article.

Referring to the drawin s, a platform l0 supports at its one end a bracket H, provided with a conventional holding. socket l2 and at its opposite end a bracket l3, provided with a drive shaft (not shown), in alignment with the socket portion l2 of bracket I 4.

Supported between the brackets H and I3 is a tubular forming mold or mandrel 14, adapted to be held at one end in socket l2 of bracket II and by a conventional chuck [5 at its opposite end. The chuck it ismounted upon the drive shaft in the bracket l3, :and is adapted to be turned by a conventionalpulley lt also mounted on the drive shaft and driven by belt l1 through suitable motor drive'means or the like (not shown) On the tubular forming means l4, secured by chuck 15, between the brackets H and [3, 'a fabric material It is spirally wound-along its length with placement of numerous uncurled feathers I 9 between the forming-mandrel l4 and the fabric or the fabric wrappings .18.

As illustrated by the Figure 1, the fabric I8 is started at one'end of themandrel 1-4, with feathers aligned over the-fiattenedsurface I8 of the fabric 18 as 'it is wound upon the forming element I4 in an advancing spiral.

By this means the feathers .aresecured in .a curved position about the forming element l4. As will be evident, one or more mappings of fabric may bemade over :the lengthof the-forming member 14, provided :the depth of the laminated wrapping is not so great as .to prevent passages of steam and heat therethrough.

After the feathers-have been. shaped, by bending in the .manner above described, chuck I5 is loosened and :the form ing cabinet '21]. This heating cabinet 20 comprises a closed steaming chamber formed with conventional sides, topiandbottom. Within .the top portion .2 0 of cabinetlmis placed.a;suitable valve 21, operable, 'for example, by handle22 to this placed in the heatin the natural state.

control cabinet pressure or to provide an exhaust outlet. As illustrated, the cabinet is constructed with a steam-tight door 23, containing glass window 24, for purposes of examining and determining cabinet and article conditions. Attached to one side wall of the cabinet is a steam pipe 25, having a suitable nozzle and piped inlet within the cabinet 20. The steam flow is adapted to be controlled by conventional valve 26 for introducing dry and live steam into the interior of the cabinet space in the manner hereinafter described.

In operation the steam supplied to cabinet 20 is furnished by suitable dry and live steam apparatus (not shown) at temperatures, pressures and time relationships which are of a predetermined value, between 100 C. and 500 C. at to 30 pounds pressure per square inch for proportional periods of time varying from minutes to only a few seconds (approximately 4), respectively, irrespective of pressure.

At the base of the cabinet 2!} there is provided an air conduit 21, adapted to be supplied by air pump 23 with a forced draft of drying air. This air supply may be from a suitable air-drying and heating furnace, or taken in from the atmosphere, as desired.

As illustrated in Fig. 5, there is provided a preferred type of forming bar it, having a central open passageway 29, and its body portion provided with numerous perforations 3b. This central passageway 29 and perforations 39 permit the passage of steam and heat through the fabric wrappings, and, therefore, to all surfaces of the pre-shaped feathers. With this hollow, perforated molding mandrel it fittings are provided on a steam outlet, upon which the tubular mandrel Hi can be mounted to force live steam into the mold to effectively thermc-set a feather stem into a permanent curl.

For a more specific illustration of the method herein disclosed and the product thereby secured, the Fig. 3 is illustrative of a chicken feather having its shaft portion 3i uncurled and This feather is placed, in the manner shown. on the fabric surface I8 and wrapped about the forming mandrel M, which in this instance is of a 1" diameter size. After being wrapped about the mandrel, the unit is placed in cabinet 29 and subjected for ten seconds to dry steam maintained at a temperature of 120 C. and a pressure of 5 pounds per square inch. Thereafter a suitable quantity of drying air is forced into the chamber Eli, which may be allowed to escape therefrom at the outlet valve 21. With this temperature, pressure and time relationship, brittleness of the feather is avoided. For higher pressures and temperatures, it was discovered that similar results are secured by subjecting feathers to a steam treatment for proportionately shorter time intervals. Likewise, with reduced temperatures and high or low pressures, the heating period may be extended for a time period of approximately 10 minutes without making the finished curled feather brittle and, therefore, of no value with respect to its softness characteristic.

As shown in Fig. 4, when the feather of Fig. 3 has passed through the treatment above described and is unwrapped, it has its shaft portion 3! permanently set in a definite curl. It was discovered that, after the heat treatment above 7 provided, with or without the drying action, the feather stem}! retained its curl.

To illustratethe practical results of curling a- TABLE I Comparison of chicken and duck feathers [Based on an average of several tests] Filling Power at- Material 3005 p. s. i.,

p. s. i., cm.

Chicken Feathers before curling. Chicken Feathers after curling Prime Western Grey Duck Feathers. L. I. White Duck Feathersn nnu Height of 20 gm. of feathers flufied into a glass cylinder 11.5 inches diameter.

1 Height of 10 gm. of feathers in a brass cylinder 3.75 inches (llamer. 3 Not measured.

From the above it will be recognized that at the lowest test pressures used, chicken feathers have been almost trebled in filling power and are approximately (within 20%) equivalent in filling power to the best duck feathers obtainable. Further, by selecting only vane feathers for curling, and curling them by the process herein illustrated, it is possible to substantially equal the filling power of duck feathers. However, as a practical matter, such separation in bulk volumes is very difficult and a comparatively expensive operation.

In making the above test, care must be taken in measuring the filling power of feathers curled by the autoclaving technique, for it is found such feathers immediately after autoclaving are highly charged with static electricity and it takes considerable time (12 hours or more) before this excess charge leaks away. Unless the feathers are measured at humidities of presumably over 50% at room emperatures and at test pressures of not less than .0005 p. s. i., the filling power obtained will be too high because of this static. Recognition is hereby made of the fact that huffing the feathers causes them, among other reasons, to occupy more volume by virtue of this static electricity produced during fiufling.

On a comparative basis with other known processes, the following table is representative of the improvement herein provided:

TABLE II Increase in filling power by thermo-set feather curling In addition to the specific types of forming apparatus indicated above, it has been found that uncurled feathers, which in any case are preferably cleaned before bending, may be bent and held to the curved shape prior to and during the treatment herein provided by any suitable former.

Such formers may be, for example, tubular formers within which the feathers are stuffed and bent thereby into a precurled position, or an apparatus in the nature of a presser having a mandrel of specific curvature, mandrels of other desired shape or curvature, a roller and shoe, or other apparatuses wherein a steaming treatment, as herein provided, is applied during the time of mechanical deformation of the feathers.

In addition to thermo-setting a curl in normally straight feather bodies, it has been dis-. covered that the straight feathers 19 may be carded or garnetted with other fibers, woven, braided, knitted, or the like, with or secured in fabrics, or in fibrous material as yarn or the like, during spinning. Thereafter these materials, as represented by the fabric 32 of Fig. 6, are shaped in the manner and treated by a process such as herein disclosed. There is thus provided a fibrous structure 32, decorated with artificially curled feathers 33, which retain their curl. Further, the feathers may be artificially dyed or stained in a conventional manner, either prior or subsequent to receiving their thermo-set curl, without damage to the feather structure. Obviously dyes or stains affected by the dry steam and heat are not applied prior to the curling treatment.

Having thus disclosed my invention, it will be possible to provide modifications, adaptations and uses not herein described but believed to fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A method of making a feather-decorated novelty fabric, comprising mounting straight fowl feathers on a fabric base, conjointly and tightly winding said fabric base and said feathers around a mandrel, and admitting heat -to said feathers and fabric base while wound around said mandrel until said feathers are permanently thermoset in a curled configuration.

2. The method of imparting a permanent curl to normally uncurled fowl feathers, comprising aligning said feathers on a gas-permeable flexible support in a direction substantially parallel to an edge of said support, conjointly and tightly winding said feathers and support around a mandrel, the shafts of said feathers being in a plane substantially normal to the axis of said mandrel, and applyin heat of at least 100 C. to said feathers while thus wound around said mandrel until said feathers are permanently thermoset in a curled configuration.

3. The method of imparting a permanent curl to normally uncurled fowl feathers, comprising aligning said feathers on an elongated strip of gas-permeable flexible material in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said strip, conjointly and tightly winding said feathers and strip in an advancing spiral around a mandrel, and applying heat of at least 100 C. to said feathers while thus wound around said mandrel until said feathers are permanently thermoset in a curled configuration.

4. The method of imparting a permanent curl to normally uncurled fowl feathers, comprising aligning said feathers on a gas-permeable flexible support in a direction substantially parallel to an edge of said support, conjointly and tightly winding said feathers and support around a hollow mandrel having a large plurality of perforations in its wall, the shafts of said feathers being in a plane substantially normal to the axis of said mandrel, and passing a hot gas having a temperature of at least C. through the interior and through the perforations of said mandrel into contact with said feathers while said feathers are thus wound around said mandrel until said feathers are pemanently thermoset in a curled configuration.

5. The method of imparting a permanent curl to normally uncurled fowl feathers, comprising alignin said feathers on an elongated strip of gas-permeable flexible material in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said strip, conjointly and tightly winding said feathers and strip in an advancing spiral around a hollow mandrel having a large plurality of perforations in its wall, and passing a hot gas having a temperature of at least 100 0. through the interior and through the perforations of said mandrel into contact with said feathers while said feathers are thus wound around said mandrel until said feathers are permanently thermoset in a curled configuration.

6. The method of imparting a permanent curl to normally uncurled fowl feathers, comprising aligning said feathers on a gas-permeable flexible support in a direction substantially parallel to an edge of said support, coniointly and tightly winding said feathers and support around a rotating mandrel, the shafts of said feathers being in a plane substantially normal to the axis of said mandrel, arresting the rotation of said mandrel after said support and feathers are wound thereon, and placing said mandrel and the support and feathers which are wound around said mandrel conjointly into a chamber, and heating said chambers to at least 100 C. until said feathers are permanently thermoset in a curled configuration.

NORMAN B. EDELMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 225,152 Low Mar. 2, 1880 260,629 Ward July 4, 1882 1,392,287 Wever Sept. 27, 1921 2,049,241 Amkr-aut July 28, 1936 2,074,732 Nelson Mar. 23, 1937 2,213,316 Koga Sept. 3, 1940 2,310,642 Marcy Feb. 9, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 26,240 Austria May 1, 1906 541,687 France May 5, 1922 

